The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting flags, banners or the like. The apparatus may be mounted to the top of a flagpole or the like or it may form part of a flagpole or the like.
Flagpoles are well known to all members of the community. The typical flagpole has an elongate pole extending vertically from the ground. A pulley is located at an upper end of the pole and a wire runs around the pulley. A flag is removably attached to the wire by personnel on the ground and the flag is then raised. Such flagpoles have a vertical edge of the flag attached to the wire, As a result, when conditions are not windy, the flag hangs limply against the pole.
In addition to hanging flags from flagpoles, it is becoming common to want to display advertising banners or commemorative banners from poles. With such banners it is especially undesirable to have the banner hang limply from the pole as the advertising or commemorative message is lost. In order to overcome this problem, poles may have horizontally extending arms fitted thereto such that the banner may hang from the horizontal arm. As the banner is suspended from a horizontal edge, it is fully displayed even in windless conditions.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to hang banners or flags from such poles as the horizontal arms are typically fixed at the top of the pole or, if not at the top, quite some distance above the ground. In order to hang banners or flags on such poles, it is necessary to use ladders or cherry pickers to enable a person to reach the required height to hang the banner or flag. Alternatively, it is necessary to lower the pole to ground level. Either case is unsatisfactory in certain elements.
It is an objective the present invention to overcome or at least ameliorate some of the difficulties with the prior aft.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for supporting a flag, banner or the like comprising a housing having a passage therethrough, an arm, cable means attached to the arm and extending rough the passage wherein retracting the cable means through the housing causes the arm to be retracted into the housing and to be positioned in a predetermined orientation and releasing the cable means causes the arm to move from the predetermined orientation.
As used throughout the specification, the term xe2x80x9ccable meansxe2x80x9d means extends to any cable, wire, rope or other generally filamentous material, irrespective of the particular construction thereof.
Preferably, releasing the cable means causes the arm to move out of the predetermined position under the influence of gravity.
The apparatus may further comprise mounting means for mounting the apparatus to a flagpole or the like. The mounting means may be used to mount the apparatus to the top of the flagpole or the like. The apparatus may be mounted to the top of the flagpole such that the apparatus can rotate.
The mounting means may suitably comprise a bush means having a flange at one end, the bush means being positioned such that it extends into a hollow part of a flagpole or the like and the flange rests on top of the flagpole, said bush means having an internal passage for receiving at least part of the housing.
Alternatively, the mounting means may comprise a bearing means affixed to a flagpole or the like, the bearing means supporting the housing.
In one particularly preferred embodiment, the passage in the housing includes an opening in a side face of the housing. This opening preferably has a lower edge and a wall of the passage extends upwardly and inwardly from the lower edge of the opening. In this fashion, the wall assists in guiding the arm to the desired predetermined orientation.
The arm preferably has a first shoulder positioned close to but away from an end thereof. When the arm is being retracted into the housing the shoulder may contact an engagement means to prevent fiber inward movement of the arm. Continued retraction of a cable means causes the arm to pivot upwardly about the engagement means into the predetermined position.
Preferably, the passage is shaped to allow the arm to pivot about the engagement means. In this regard, the passage may be shaped to provide clearance for movement of the portion of the arm that extends from the first shoulder to an inner end of the arm.
The first engagement means is suitably a first rod in the housing.
The arm preferably has a second shoulder opposed to the fist shoulder. In this embodiment, when the arm is in the predetermined orientation, the first and second shoulders may be positioned on opposite sides of the engagement means to thereby lock the arm against lateral movement when the arm is in the predetermined position.
In some instances, the opposed shoulders may be considered to define a neck region.
The housing may also include guide means around which the cable means can pass. The guide means is suitably a rotatable wheel, although a guide rod or arm may also be used.
The cable means should be sufficiently long to pass down the flagpole or the like and enable the arm to be lowered to essentially ground level. The banner or flag can then be attached to the arm and the cable means retracted to thereby raise the arm and position the arm on the predetermined position. To change a flag or banner, the cable means is unwound to thereby again lower the arm.
The predetermined orientation of the arm is generally horizontal. In some embodiments, the am may extend slightly upwardly and away from the housing when it is in the predetermined position. This assists in keeping the arm generally horizontal when the arm is carrying the weight of a flag, banner or the like.
In order to facilitate winding and unwinding of the cable means, a winch may be provided. The winch is suitably mounted within the flagpole for security purposes.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a flagpole or the like having an opening in a side surface thereof, a passageway extending from the opening and along the flagpole, an arm, a cable means attached to the arm, the cable means extending from the arm and through the passage wherein retraction of the cable means causes an end of the arm to move through the opening in the side surface of the flagpole or the like and to adopt a predetermined orientation and releasing the cable means causes the arm to move from the predetermined orientation.
In this aspect of the invention, the flagpole or the like may have a housing mounted therein. The housing may be generally similar to the housing as described with reference to the first aspect of the invention. Appropriate changes to the housing maybe made to account for the housing being mounted within the flagpole or the like.
Other features of the second aspect of the invention are suitably as described with reference to those features in the fist aspect of the invention.
The present invention also encompasses a flagpole or the like having the apparatus of the first aspect of the invention mounted thereto.
In embodiment where the apparatus can rotate about the flagpole or the like, the cable means is preferably provided with a swivel joint to avoid twisting of the cable means.
The arm may be suitably provided with means for attaching a flag or banner thereto. The arm may also be provided with fixing means to enable an extension arm to be fixed thereto. This will allow larger banners or flags to be suspended from the arm.
The predetermined orientation of the arm is preferably generally horizontal.